It is a new year and time to do some planning.
This is the time of year when so many of us make resolutions for the year ahead.
Shopping at ThriftSmart is always fun — looking for bargains on household goods, toys and clothing at this South Nashville thrift store. Books are also a draw since the Nolensville Road store has a particularly good, well-stocked book section.
One of my new favorite shopping destinations is Marathon Village.
Yes, the free “Tuba Christmas” concert is back in action this holiday season.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is for my daughters and me to take the grandchildren to the lavishly decorated Gaylord Opryland complex to take advantage of all of the free things to do.
It is so exciting to see lots of our favorite holiday events coming back to life this year as in-person offerings.
If you are looking for a holiday project, the Ms. Cheap Penny Drive for Second Harvest may be just for you.
As Annette and Mark McCreedy prepare for Christmas gift giving for their family, they don’t have to worry about the pesky supply chain woes that are haunting Christmas shoppers and so much of the retail world.
With the holidays just around the corner and entertaining (almost) back in vogue, buying wine may be on your to-do list.
When I want a cheeseburger, I want the old-fashioned kind — cooked on a grill or griddle with melted yellow cheese and dressed with a thin slather of mustard, and lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle, all served on a soft bun.
Does it seem like the cost of groceries is skyrocketing?
October is a great month for free things to do in Middle Tennessee.
With the cooler weather finally here, it is time to plan some fall walks and hikes with family and friends.
Fall shoe alert!
As Ms. Cheap, I am always looking for places to get a great affordable lunch. And so today, I am asking for your suggestions of places in Middle Tennessee where we can chow down at lunchtime for $10 or less.
Centennial Park will be bustling throughout September with music-loving crowds enjoying the “September Sundown” series of free Musicians Corner concerts.
When the Martin ArtQuest area first opened at the Frist Art Museum 20 years ago, I was thrilled to hear of a place where children could go make art with knowledgeable and patient art educators and not make a big mess at home.
The arrival of fall brings out the coupon books and cards that students and their families sell as fundraisers for everything from band and playground equipment to computers and student trips and other extras for their schools.
The back-to-school season always brings out a flurry of pop-up children’s consignment sales that feature gently used clothing, toys, books and equipment for infants through teens at prices well below their original retail price.
Volunteer: This does not have to be a big preplanned organized project but could be a last minute neighborhood cleanup that you do on your own or with a group. Or maybe you could spearhead a book drive or food drive, where you pass out flyers to neighbors asking them to put out books or non perishable food for you to pick up and donate to a food pantry or literacy program. And if you want an organized project, Hands on Nashville has a full calendar of volunteer opportunities. HON.org
Dollar General’s new $5-and-under pOpshelf stores are popping up all over Middle Tennessee.
This year the Tennessee tax-free offerings have tripled — not only including the usual back-to-school weekend exemption on clothing, school supplies and computers, but expanding to offer a full week of taxless shopping on food and a whole year of tax-free shopping for gun safes and other gun safety features.
Safari Fridays are back at the Nashville Zoo!
If you are looking for an easy and fun day trip, this Friday’s Cottage Tour and Bazaar at the Monteagle Assembly Grounds is a good bet.
I do love Christmas and was thrilled to hear about the Christmas in July sales at our area Goodwill stores this weekend.
Thanks to all of you who donated, collected and encouraged the Ms. Cheap T-shirt Drive for Room in the Inn.
Right around the time we launched Main Street Nashville in March, I called Mary Hance (Ms. Cheap) to see if she would be interested in writing a weekly column for our newspapers. Mary had been sharing money-saving tips with people for years, and I knew our readers would love to read her feature stories and thrifty tips.
When our mother died after a lengthy illness, my brother donated her leftover medical equipment to the United Cerebral Palsy Equipment Exchange.
I do love a day trip that involves shopping, especially bargain shopping and some good people-watching, too.
Some people go to yard sales with a list of things they are looking for. And some go with an open mind, just enjoying the thrill of the hunt.
It’s true that the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center created its SoundWaves water attraction as a perk for its overnight guests.
When I first started my Ms. Cheap column, I relished highlighting independent eateries where we could enjoy a good lunch for $5 or less.
I’ve always heard that the key to a retail business’s success is location, location, location.
With the 80th annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival coming up this weekend in Portland, you know it must be time, or almost time, for picking your own strawberries at area farms.
Barbara Kelly looks for a place to put her sock display at This 'n That Thrift Shop on April 9.
Nancy Laska looks for children’s books for a friend at This 'n That Thrift Shop.
Volunteers work the registers and arrange displays as customers line up to check out the deals they have found at This 'n That Thrift Shop on April 9.
Michael Ewing checks out an antique radio for sale at This 'n That Thrift Shop on April 9. This 'n That is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
One of my favorite things to write about over the years has been free festivals, where families could get out and learn something new, enjoy some live music, sample some food and experience a day in the park.
With graduations, weddings and Mother’s Day on the spring calendar, this is a good time to check out the American Pearl Co.’s Friends and Family Sale, where you can purchase pearl necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more at half the suggested retail price.
I am not a camper.
Mary Hance, aka Ms. Cheap, writes about good sales and free and affordable things to do in Middle Tennessee, plus creative ways to be good stewards of our hard-earned money.
Mary Hance, better known to Middle Tennesseans as Ms. Cheap, has joined Main Street Media of Tennessee to write a weekly column for its 13 newspapers. Hance retired in January after a 45-year career with The Tennessean and the Nashville Banner. For 27 of those years, she shared her dollar-stretching savvy to the delight of readers. In her new column, Hance will highlight Ms. Cheap’s weekly pick, as well as share her money-saving strategies.
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